Parker’s administration takes shape | Morning Newsletter
How to stick to your 2024 finance goals
The Morning Newsletter
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Welcome to the last day of the year. It’s a mostly sunny Sunday, but you should probably bundle up. Still, it’s a nice reprieve from one of the soggiest Decembers in Philadelphia on record.
The new year also comes with a new mayor. Cherelle Parker will be sworn in Tuesday as Philadelphia’s 100th mayor, and so far we know 17 senior members of her administration. But many key roles are still up for grabs.
Our lead story today looks at Parker’s recruitment process and why she says it will take an unfamiliar shape.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Cherelle Parker knows her transition process was a slow one. And she said some people have encouraged her to have the top 30 members in place by the time she takes the oath of office. Some key roles, like the city representative and the chief administrative officer, are yet to be filled, and Parker has not named commissioners for almost all of the operational departments.
But the pace is a result of Parker taking a different approach instead of the typical “hook-up culture” of political hiring, as described by Ryan Boyer, who cochaired Parker’s transition committee.
As inauguration day nears, her administration slowly comes into focus. The names and faces are familiar because none are strangers to Philadelphia; all of them are from here or have worked in government or politics here.
Instead, the administration will be led by a trio of senior aides Parker calls her “big three.” She has hinted that it will have a novel organizational chart, with fewer people reporting directly to the mayor. And she also has another trio of informal advisers who she usually leans on before making big decisions.
Read on to learn how Parker deliberately carved out “a professionalized process” to screen, interview, and bring people on board.
With holiday spending behind us, you may be thinking about how you can be better with money in 2024.
You’re not alone: More than a third of U.S. adults are setting financial resolutions in the new year. Improving finances was the second most popular goal after improving fitness, according to the late October poll of 1,000 people nationwide.
Whether your finance-related goals involve paying down debt or finally creating — and actually sticking to — a budget that works for you, we gathered some helpful tips from experts over a year of consumer reporting.
Keep reading for step-by-step guidance to achieve your financial goals.
What you should know today
The highway ramp that connects southbound Roosevelt Boulevard to I-76 West reopened Friday evening after crews repaired damage from a crash Tuesday.
A man who was killed during an ambush at his front door in Northeast Philadelphia is being remembered as a beloved staff member at Mayfair Elementary School who taught students lessons about fairness and having fun while playing. No arrests had been made as of Saturday.
Temple University Health System named the six physicians’ offices that will become part of a new independent health-care organization called Fair Hill Community Physicians.
Gun violence in Philadelphia has dropped by large numbers, according to police statistics. But shootings and homicides remain at levels not seen for decades since before they spiked amid the pandemic.
A California child is facing lifelong disabilities due to injuries she suffered after choking on a piece of gummy candy from Philadelphia-based confectioner Frankford Candy & Chocolate Co., according to a new lawsuit.
A former GOP candidate for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor and leader of a political action committee that fueled conservative opposition to school boards has been charged with assault after allegedly punching a teenager at a boozy birthday party she threw for her 17-year-old daughter.
With one day left before the new year, it feels like a good time to review the past year in Philly news. Taylor Allen bids us adieu with a thorough rundown of the biggest stories that happened in the region we love.
❓Pop quiz❓
Which of the following was not one of Mike Klein’s top five Philly restaurant stories of 2023?
A) The demolition of a diner
B) The speedy demise of a sports bar
C) The revival of a cheesesteak landmark
D) The rise of mocktails
Think you got it? Check your answer here.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: The countdown begins
ACT DEBT HOWL RALPH
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Larry Isard who correctly guessed Thursday’s answer: Penn’s Landing.
Photo of the day
🎶 Today’s Sunday track goes like this: “I wave goodbye to the end of beginning.” 🎶
👋🏽 I think it’s interesting that the new year begins on a Monday. I’m starting my day with this classic rendition of a timeless New Year’s Eve song. Thank you for starting yours with The Inquirer, and we’ll see you again in your inbox in 2024.